How can CASBEE contribute as a sustainability assessment tool to achieve the SDGs?

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this research was to understand the relationship between assessment items of the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, were adopted in 2015. In response, social demand for sustainable buildings, urban districts, and cities has grown. New assessment tools have been developed to quantitatively evaluate the sustainability of individual buildings, building clusters, urban districts, and cities worldwide. CASBEE was developed in Japan, with assessment items suited to each scale, from individual buildings to entire cities. These assessment items are expected to contribute to SDG 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” as well as the other 16 goals. However, the degree of correspondence between assessment items and SDGs remains unclear. Therefore, the relationships between CASBEE assessment items and SDGs were investigated to confirm their effectiveness as a tool for sustainable design. In this analysis, the number of corresponding goals increased as the scale became broader. At the scales of individual buildings and building clusters, many assessment items contributed indirectly to SDG 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production” while many assessment items contributed directly to SDG 11 in urban districts and cities.